EGPAF CEO Chip Lyons comments on Deborah Birx Nomination in Nature

The director of the CDC's global HIV/AIDS division, Deborah Birx, was nominated on 9 January to lead the US President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the governmental health initiative that spends more than $6 billion per year on antiretroviral drugs and associated medical care for HIV-infected individuals in resource-poor countries around the world. A clinician-scientist who served in the military for 28 years, Birx previously headed the US Military HIV Research Program, where she led development of the first HIV vaccine to show signs of clinical efficacy. “She's the best pick for the position because she brings a unique combination of experiences and knowledge,” says Charles Lyons, president and chief executive of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in Washington, DC, which receives funding from PEPFAR.